Monday, October 28, 2013

Texas... KABOOM! A FREEBIE!

We had a blast playing KABOOM with Texas facts today. If you don't know about this game, you should! I did not invent this game, in fact I learned about it in a differentiation inservice. It can be played with ANY subject, as a review, as a preview, as practice, etc. I made this version of it to go with our unit on Texas. To play the game you will need to print and cut out the question strips (free here). Put one set into each can or envelope you would like to use. I made four sets out of Pringles cans that I covered with scrapbook paper. (In our inservice they covered them with aluminum foil and they were cute!)

Students play in pairs or small groups. Each student pulls out a strip and tries to answer the question. If they are able to answer it they keep the strip and the next person goes. If they are unable to answer it, the group helps or they find the information (on the internet, in a book, poster etc.) and the player puts the card back into the can. Play goes on this way until someone pulls a KABOOM card. The player that pulls the KABOOM must put all of their strips back into the can. This means that students end up answering the same questions over and over and hear each other answering the questions over and over. The player at the end who has the most cards when all three KABOOM cards are left in the can "wins". But really everybody wins, because they are having a blast reviewing facts!

You can do this in so many ways. You could make cans that get more difficult as they are successful with the first can. You could have a can for different regions or skills, you can make questions that are easier to read or have picture cues for ELL's or struggling students.